S5E6 - “You don’t really want to stand out, you want to blend in”

Just when you thought this business couldn't get any tougher, Deadline exposes another scandal that has rocked the industry and sent shockwaves through the creatvies involved in the audition process. Agents sending fake self tape requests to actors?! If this is something you'd never even contemplated before, you wouldn't be the only one. But sadly these are not just isolated incidents...  Including comments from The CDA and Equity's General Secretary, testimonies from actors who have been affected, and more, join me on a deep dive into the recently exposed scandal of agents sending fake self tape requests to clients. The what's, how's, why's... This isn't just about fake auditions, it's about deceit, emotional manipulation, selfish gain and moral corruption in an industry with such a powerful hierarchy, that this behaviour has been able to thrive for years. [Like the Bodhi Scandal episode, this one is more of a broadcast style vibe - would love to know what you think about this kind of style for The 98%! Share your thoughts online @the98percentpod] Read: IAM / Luc Chaudhary / Helen Kelly 'UK Self-Tape Scandal Deepens: International Artists Management Admits Sending Client Misrepresented Audition Invite' https://deadline.com/2024/03/international-artists-management-iam-sent-client-misleading-audition-invites-1235842868/comment-page-2/#comments '“Was My Tape Fake?”: The Question Panicked British Actors Are Asking Casting Directors About Audition Invites — And Why It Matters' https://deadline.com/2024/03/uk-fake-self-tape-scandal-explained-1235859627/comment-page-2/#comments . If you appreciate the work being done by, and for, The 98% please consider donating to our ko-fi, every little helps and goes back into doing what we do here! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent 

"Archie Purnell" JAMIE FISHER (also using the name 'Richard'), rogue talent agent, is back with a new name, new studio name ('Wigan TV & Film Acting School'), but the same old tricks. To get ahead of accusations he is spreading rumours and false claims. Knowing all I know, I cannot sit back and let more people be scammed. "Drawing from documented sources and firsthand accounts of those impacted, I am making this public statement, as a vital disclosure for anyone who may come into contact with, now or in the future, Jamie Fisher aka Jamie Thomas Fisher aka AP James aka Archie Purnell." This statement has also been released as a video on social media. You can find the full video on instagram @the98percentpod, with links posted on twitter at the same handle. You can find the full transcription of this statement here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W5wJ8qq_lcpkM4eqTfzaYzlRtGJB7tyh4betF5XWfnE/edit?usp=sharing Listen to S5E32 of The 98% to hear more information and background to this scandal. . If you appreciate the work being done by, and for, The 98% please consider donating to our ko-fi, every little helps and goes back into doing what we do here!  

This episode is 1 hour 4 mins long. If your podcast app is only playing the first 45 mins, there is a technical issue that is currently being looked at! Please check back here for the full episode coming asap! Last year The 98% was contacted by Jake Kanter, a journalist for Deadline, after the podcast featured stories of those who experienced abuse and misconduct at UK drama schools. Thus began a relationship that has resulted in multiple exsposé articles unearthing misconduct in the industry after people who had reports to make had nowhere left to go, apart from The 98%, to share what had happened to them. So why did Alexa, and many others, feel like a journalist was the only option in having their voice heard? How does writing an exposé work? What are some behind-the-scenes looks at the uncovering of these recent topics? And why does the idea that those who report are making falsehoods not hold up in these cases? Listen to find out... Contact Jake: Email [email protected] Twitter: jake_kanter Looking for a fun, flexible paythebills job that pays weekly and can work around your #actorslife? Check our krulive.com and join their team! We are so appreciative of Kru sponsporing and supporting The 98% . Help support The 98%, every penny goes into the finances of podcasting and helps us stay on the air for free for all to enjoy! Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/the98percent 

Mental health has always been a throughline for episodes of The 98% and so the podcast is proud to host Adam Bambrough in this episode, founder and CEO of Wellbeing in the Arts. After leaving the acting profession due to struggles with his own mental wellbeing, Adam planned to write a book revealing the scope of actors and creatives with mental health struggles. He soon realized that there was no stand alone mental health support in the entertainment industry, so no wonder mental health struggles were affecting so many creatives. And so..he made one himself. Wellbeing in the Arts works towards their vision of an industry in which every individual, organisation and production has access to mental health and wellbeing support and where awareness and understanding of mental health issues is vastly improved, along with the root causes of poor mental health in the workplace being addressed. Adam shares his journey as an actor, leaving the professions, neurodivergence, and more. This is an honest, transparent and much needed conversation about creatives and how this industry can exacerbate struggles, and what needs to be done to help. CN: This episode contains discussion around mental illness This brilliant organization has helped Alexa herself have access to 6 weeks of counselling for an incredibly accessible price considering the promptness and high quality of the service. Find out more about this much needed org here https://www.wellbeinginthearts.org.uk Need support with your mental health?  Email: [email protected] Call: 0330 123 5574 Text: +44 7496 896 436 For general enrquries or to chat to Adam about his services email [email protected] Follow them online @Wellbeinthearts If you are experiencing a mental health emergency please call emergency services 999 or Samartians 116 123 . The 98% is excited to have this episode sponsored by Kru Live! Find out how you can get paid to have fun with flexible, exiciting work perfect for actors here https://krulive.com  . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . If you've benefitted from and enjoyed the podcast and want to give a little back, we have a ko-fi where every penny thrown in our hat goes straight into contributing towards the costs of running the podcast and creating helpful content online for actors. Every little helps and is so appreciated! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent 

After a lifetime dedicated to the "I can do nothing but act" frame of mind, everything changed aged 39 for guest Lee Mengo. Thinking about his future and his prospects, Lee realized that acting wasn’t giving him what he needed in life. Financially, mentally, spiritually, egotistically...but coming to terms with that was a long hard road. When he finally made the decision to step away, start his journey of sobriety, and found a job that he loved teaching young actors…his 20 years of hard work came back around and he ended up booking bucket list acting jobs! As a teacher, Lee practices the values of kindness and positivity. He shares with his students the importance of finding validation and authenticity within themselves and how actor training has no room for hostility or high pressure. This episode is a must listen for an injection of inspiration, positivity, hope, and a reminder to live a person centered #actorslife. . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . If you've benefitted from, and enjoyed, the podcast and want to give a little back; we have a ko-fi where every penny thrown in our hat goes straight into contributing towards the costs of running the podcast and creating helpful content online for actors. Every little helps and is so appreciated! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent  . Want to connect with other actors around the world, be coached, see castings, read in for self tapes or earn money reading for others? You can do all this and more at https://www.weaudition.com with 25% off your monthly subscription with the discount code 9825!

After a group of actors reported their concerns about their former agent regarding fake self tapes, withheld pay, skimming money, lying about cancer, and more, to no avail...they came to Alexa at The 98% for advice on next steps. With seemingly nowhere else to turn, Alexa passed the information on to Deadline journalist Jake Kanter, encouraging him to help expose these dodgy dealings...For the sake of these actors, the others on the agencies book, and the inudstry as a whole. Thankfully, he did.  And thus began #BodhiGate. Hundreds of emails, texts, screenshots, messages, sent and recieved...police reports, zoom meetings, seven google docs and a 30 page-and-counting armchair investigation into what Alexa describes as a "con of the highest tier." Not all can be revealed...yet. But this episode exists as a comprehensive collation of what is detailed in the articles, next steps for those affected, and insight into what is hopefully a catalyst for real industry change. Thank you to Layla, Jake, and others, who have been instrumental in these important developments. (Apologies for slight congestion..am overcoming the flu!) Email [email protected] or DM @the98percentpod Report to: Equity [email protected] Spotlight [email protected] Donate to The 98%'s Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/the98percent/goal?g=116 Journalists can get a bad rap..but it can make all the difference when a good one is on your side. Jake was there to tell this story when no one else would help, get in touch with him by email [email protected] or find him on twitter @Jake_Kanter Read Jake's full Deadline articles here: https://deadline.com/2024/02/bodhi-talent-archie-purnell-professional-misconduct-allegations-1235816154/comment-page-2/#comments https://deadline.com/2024/02/bodhi-talent-luna-kids-casting-accused-of-scam-fees-1235825274/ https://deadline.com/2024/02/the-crown-bad-education-actors-owed-money-bodhi-talent-1235830720/ If you'd like to hear more about The 98%'s crusade for a safer industry, listen to the 5 part mini series from last year - with special mention to S5E3 with pioneer and trail blazer, Helen Raw: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1l4G9d77EJmYNXDsWWX5MF?si=633583fe532a4eda  

Today's guest, Sally Abbott, has worked in the arts for 35 years. Starting in community arts and working her way up to writing for some of British televisions biggest shows, Sally has so much wisdom and insight to share. In this episode you'll hear why Sally finally feels like she’s who she’s meant to be at aged 55, how she has found confidence and navigated a diagnosis for ADHD, and what her journey in the industry has looked like. Actors listening will hear why writers can’t get you a job (even if a character is literally based on you!), what makes a good self tape for writers watching their work, why ‘rejection’ is not as personal as we feel, what the process of writing for TV looks like...and why a Stranger Things star was cut from a Casualty episode! The 98% is honoured to feature guests from all walks of the creative life and this episode is a perfect example why. Follow Sally online: twitter @SallyAbbott3 ig @abbott.sally Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . If you've benefitted from and enjoyed the podcast and want to give a little back, we have a ko-fi where every penny thrown in our hat goes straight into contributing towards the costs of running the podcast and creating helpful content online for actors. Every little helps and is so appreciated! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent We are currently fundraising to keep our website/actor blog going - help us reach our goal so as much 98% content is available online for free as possible! . Want to connect with other actors around the world, be coached, see castings, read in for self tapes or earn money reading for others? You can do all this and more at https://www.weaudition.com with 25% off your monthly subscription with the discount code 9825!

Series 5 keeps on rolling along and for episode 30 it's the two OG's, Alexa and Katie, sitting down and chatting about the current #actorslife goings on with the usual brtual honesty, evaluating the relationship actors have with the industry, co-dependency, the future of the podcast, some exciting new offerings, and some actor woes and wins! . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . Help support The 98%, every penny goes into the finances of podcasting and helps us stay on the air for free for all to enjoy! Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/the98percent  Patreon https://www.patreon.com/the98percentpod . Want to connect with other actors around the world, be coached, see castings, read in for self tapes or earn money reading for others? You can do all this and more at https://www.weaudition.com with 25% off your monthly subscription with the discount code 9825! . The 98% represents the 98% of actors who don't earn their main source of income from acting work (yes, a real stat!!) We have 100+ episodes for you to enjoy, including incredible guests from all corners of the industry. Find out more about The 98% with more content + our blog at www.the98percentpod.com . Episode 30 of Series 5!! This milestone episode (the longest a series of The 98% has gone without a break!) is dedicated to our amazing listeners. You're why we're here and we so appreciate your listenership, love, support and enjoyment of what we do!

"This year I will book my first TV credit" "I will sign with an agent" "I will star in a film" Sound familiar? These are all outcome goals, and very common amongst actors who are so determined to achieve that certain thing they think will make them more valid, especially in an industry that tends to only focus on the outcomes. But outcome foccussed goals can be detrimental, especially as actors when the outcome doesn't necessarily correlate to the process. What are process goals and why are they more important to focus on than outcome goals? This episode will explain all, and leave you feeling positive and inspired to make realistic and attainable goals and New Year's Resolutions for 2024 and beyond. Today The 98% welcomes back one of the most listened to guests of the podcast, Dr Steve Bull! Steve is a keynote speaker, author and 'high performance' consultant. During his 40 year career he has coached CEOs, Olympic athletes, NATO officers, actors and university professors. He has attended 3 Olympic Games as the Great Britain Team Headquarters Psychologist and has worked with hundreds of athletes in professional sports helping individuals and teams optimize their performance potential. Steve is also...Alexa's Dad! While the bias may be considered strong here, this really is a not-to-be-missed episode and can change your mindset in ways that will forever improve your career. In this episode Alexa and Steve discuss the importance of reframing goals as an actor to ensure they're within the realms of "controlling the controllables", how to stay confident and resilient as an actor, redifing success, and more! The perfect episode to shake off those January blues and get back on the actor horse. For Steve's previous apperances on The 98% listen to Series 1 Episode 5 and Series 3 Episode 14. For coaching/mentorship for The 98% visit https://www.the98percentpod.com/help Read Steve's latest book The Game Plan for more (albeit, sports laden) insightful tips on enhancing performance under pressure.  https://www.amazon.com/Game-Plan-Guide-Mental-Toughness-ebook/dp/B07M5N1TSD . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. . If you've benefitted from, and enjoyed, the podcast and want to give a little back; we have a ko-fi where every penny thrown in our hat goes straight into contributing towards the costs of running the podcast and creating helpful content online for actors. Every little helps and is so appreciated! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent  . Want to connect with other actors around the world, be coached, see castings, read in for self tapes or earn money reading for others? You can do all this and more at https://www.weaudition.com with 25% off your monthly subscription with the discount code 9825!

The Spotify wrapped for The 98% showed that 70% of listeners discovered the podcast in 2023! So, incase you missed these festive parodies in previous seasons, here are a couple of the favourite #actorslife covers from Christmases gone by. Jingle Bells parody + An Actors Night Before Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone! . Follow us on twitter/instagram at @the98percentpod for relatable #actorslife content, tips and advice for actors, and news about our new series. If you've benefitted from and enjoyed the podcast and want to give a little back, we have a ko-fi where every penny thrown in our hat goes straight into contributing towards the costs of running the podcast and creating helpful content online for actors. Every little helps and is so appreciated! https://ko-fi.com/the98percent  Want to connect with other actors around the world, be coached, see castings, read in for self tapes or earn money reading for others? You can do all this and more at https://www.weaudition.com with 25% off your monthly subscription with the discount code 9825!